


To not pretend that life is monotonous

by Equinoxe



Series: You, me, and him [1]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-22
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2018-08-16 17:53:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8111830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Equinoxe/pseuds/Equinoxe
Summary: James put a notice on an announcement board in the university's study space. The advert promised fun and excitement, seeking a tech extraordinaire.





	

 

The phone rang at three in the morning, or rather, it vibrated. 

"I need your help."

The other side of the line said without any greeting. The familiarity made Q sigh.

"What is it?"

 

 

James put a notice on an announcement board in the university's study space. The advert promised fun and excitement, seeking a tech extraordinaire. Q could do with some wild moments, so they met in one afternoon. 

Blond hair, blue eyes, good-looking, not particularly tall but exceptionally well-built. _The name is Bond, James Bond_ , Q remembered their first meet vividly. Q thought it was an advert for some sort of contract position, yet fourteen months later, he was still here. 

"Hey" James greeted and sat down in the opposite seat, picking up the menu. "Have you ordered?"

"I was waiting for the crowd to go out a bit."

The blond man nodded.

"Eat first then business?"

"Yeah, eat first then business."

Q told James his order and watched as the blond walked towards the crowded bar. The pub near the university was their favourite spot where they would meet up, get food, and discuss the work.

They stole things.  

Turned out the fun and excitement was a little outside of legal scope. James had the eyes for pretty (and extremely valuable, mind you) artefacts. The plan would be devised. James did the leg work. Q handled the technology aspect, and sometimes, the sanity. 

It was the most eventful fourteen months Q ever had in his entire life. Q got to do things with his coding skill that he didn’t think was possible. It was exciting. Rewarding. Plus, he got one of the less famous Rembrandt paintings as a Christmas gift. So the legitimacy might or might not have gone down in his priorities. 

"You said chinas." Q started while munching the curry.

"Yeah, this fancy place in Mayfair serves their dinner in this amazing set of chinas.” 

Q nodded, he didn't know much about collectibles.

"You'll have to see them, look." James passed his smartphone as he described the history of them. On it was a photo of admittedly the most beautiful set of plates and cutlery Q had laid his eyes on, Q must admit.  

"Christ, how much is a dinner there?"

"A couple grands a person I reckon. Not much, but the reservation is mental." 

Bond said nonchalantly and sipped his beer. The pub was noisy and full of students as usual. The conversation about the objects that could buy their whole year's dinners went as they had their five-pound meals.

Q liked the surrealism of it. 

 

 

Most of the time, James' best friend, Alec, would join them. Alec was wonderful with weapons, and he owned an arsenal of them. At first Alec was a little tensed for what Q guessed was the unease of the presence of the unfamiliar Q. It took a couple of months to get used to before Alec became one of his best friends, apart from James, that was. 

James and Alec had known each other since forever. Of course they were two different persons, but Q thought the two were similar in ways he couldn’t quite put his fingers to. Alec had his— _quirks_. Quirks which James accepted them without reasons or doubts. And Alec would do the same for James.

One time while inside the national gallery with Monet's painting being the target, Alec said the path leading to the room of the painting was spooky so he persuaded everyone to give up and James simply did, to Q’s surprise. He soon learnt that Alec was spontaneous and short-tempered like that.

Q didn’t know how they had been getting away with their things when the chances were they would get too carried away with their actions. Last summer Q arrived in London from holiday just in time to stop their plan of stealing a penguin from an aquarium. However, when serious, the duo could be as practical as machines. James and Alec were so good at their job to the point it was a bit scary. (And every other bit brilliant.) 

 

 

"Where's Alec?" Q asked after James explained his plan. Too many loose holes. They would almost always need another actor to fill some of those up.

"Holiday back home. Who the fuck goes to holiday in term time? Can you imagine that?"

Q laughed. That was such an Alec thing to do.

"Shall we wait for him to come back? I've got an assignment due at the end of the month as well." 

Bond frowned, "If you say so.” 

Q smiled, internally thinking that _yes_ , it would be so much better with Alec. 

"You want another pint?"

"Yes, please."

 

 

Alec brought back chocolates from his holiday. James made a face and mumbled something about being tasteless. Q told him about the chinas.

"I wish we could steal the chef instead." Alec said.

"Don't be silly Tralevan," James retorted, "We don't steal living things. Q doesn't allow it."

Q sighed.

"So about the restaurant..."

 

 

The mission date was set on a Tuesday. Monday was too emotionally draining. Wednesday and Friday were party days. And Thursday, well Thursday was curry club.

It was quite simple with three people, really. Q put Alec into reservation list. Alec went in with some (large amount of) cash. Q cut the light out, Alec caused the fuss, James sneaked in as one of the staffs switched the things he wanted with replicas. Shift ended at eleven. James carried home £4000 worth of chinas in his gym bag. 

And it went swimmingly, bar the part where Alec got a tad too dramatic and almost got kicked out when he claimed someone must have slipped something into his wine glass in the dark.

"Well, that was easy wasn't it?" James smirked, all giddy with satisfaction. Alec wouldn't stop ranting about the restaurant's manager. 

Q was-- he was just happy.

 

 

"I've got 2500 words to write tonight for fuck's sake!" 

James greeted, annoyed, as he opened the door but welcomed them in nonetheless. Alec met Q in the campus and they decided to crash at James' place. They brought a family set kebab and a pack of beers.

"Come on Jamie boy, is this how you treat us?"

"Fuck you Alec"

"Awww I lurrrrrve you too."

As the banter continued, Q set the table. He didn't know much about James but he must be some kind of wealthy. James Bond lived in a flat, which he was the legal owner, in Central London. A flat akin to treasury with his little obsessions laying around.

"Can we watch Homeland tonight?" Q asked from the dining table. 

“YES!" said Alec, enthusiastically. 

Q wondered if James would make a good assassin judging from the look he was giving them.

 

 

James got a merit on his essay, so they finally were able to continue with Homeland a week and a half later, the amount of time which translated to forever in TV show sphere. 

"Q, don't sulk." Alec leg was nudging on Q's side.

“Am not!" 

"You totally are!"

Q glared.

"Q is just upset he saw a spoiler on Twitter."

Blond hair, blue eyes, hands full with glasses and a bottle of wine, James Bond walked out of his kitchen like he was on a fashion show runway.

"It's all your fault!!!" Q wailed.

“What?” Bond quirked his eyebrows and had a decency to smirk. “Come on honey,”

"Don't call me honey!”

Alec turned to him with a triumphant smile. "See? You're sulking!"

Q kept his mouth shut for the rest of the night to prove his point despite his itch to discuss the storyline that was leading to season’s finale. _He. Was. Not. Sulking._

In the morning he woke up to James cooking him his favourite: pancake with maple syrup and Alec bringing him his favourite tea from the store a mile away from James’. Seriously, best friends _ever_.

 

 

One night in March, Q's phone rang while they were planning for a loot in an exhibition in Vienna. James was drinking from one of German Kaisers' wine glasses. Alec was sketching the exhibition's layout. 

"Hi mum,"

James and Alec looked up instantly, making Q a bit shy about talking to his mother in the room, but they waved for Q to continue.

"Yeah, it was tough, but I'll survive.”

"Yes"

"And um, I have made new friends, two of them really."

"They're great mum, no, not like that," He said, growing awkwardness of having a conversation with his parent in front of his friends. Dark eyebrows drew together. "Wish you could meet them too. They are cool, seriously.”

 

Alec's eyes met James, and without Q noticing, they smiled.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Mini series, anyone?


End file.
